THE KING’S BUSINESS
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I speak to them that know the law) ?” According to the apostle’s argument it is just as necessary to die to the law for sanctification as it was to die to the law for justification.' The only thing the law can do is to make sin exceedingly aggra vating and plunge the sinner into despair. Indeed, the very purpose of the law is to show us how wicked and sinful we are and how utterly impossible it is for fallen human beings to keep the holy law of God. Is the law then sin? God forbid. “The law is holy, just, and good.” It becomes sin to us only because we, by reason of our sinful nature, are not able to keep it. “For what the law could not do”—that is could neither save nor sanctify, because it was weak through the flesh, not weak or unholy in itself, mark you, but because of the weakness of our sinful nature^—these sen tences indicate the drift of the apostle’s argument in Romans 7:1-6—the inability of the law to sanctify. S anctification is n o t to b e a tta in e d by self-effort (7 :1 4 -2 5 ). No self-effort, no energy of the flesh can make one “holy.” . Just as in the pre ceding section the prominent words were “the law,” “the commandment,” so here the prominent words are “I myself” and “the flesh,” all of which would indicate self-effort. Just as no outward legalism, so now no inward personal effort can sanc tify, for in the flesh dwelleth no good thing; “not I,” for sin dwelleth in me. The failure of the flesh to sanctify is set forth graphically in verses 15, 18, 21, 23. There is something wrong within as there was something wrong without. The will is weak, the nature is sinful, the “law of sin” is Jn the members, and spiritual law cannot be kept by one who is fleshly, and carnal. Because of these things man finds himself a slave instead of free. That he knows the law, consents to it that it is good, endeavors to keep it, is quite clear from verses 16-21. But notwithstanding all this, he finds evil lying in ambush for him and ready to spring on him at the first oppor tunity (v. 21).
2. T h e M ethod of a H oly Life (7 :1 -8 :3 9 ). (a) The fruitless struggle after holiness (7:1-25)- There has been considerable discussion with regard to the contents of this chapter as to whether or not the Apostle Paul was relating his own experience either before conversion, during conversion, or after conversion but before he had discovered the secret of holiness. It does not seem to be absolutely necessary, in order to get the meaning of this chapter, to relate it to the apostle’s personal experience, although the arguments of the chapter may have found some place in the apostle’s life at one time or another. Any reference to Paul’s personal experience, however, is to be understood only by way of illustrating the main argument, which is that the law cannot sanctify, nor can fleshly struggle or human willing. The main purpose of this chapter, it seems to us, is to Show the inability of the law to sanctify (vv. 1-6), ju'st as it was unable to justify (cf.‘ cc. 3-5) ; also the uselessness of the energy of the flesh (vv. 7-25) to sanctify, just as it was helpless to justify (1:19-3:20). Not “the commandment” (vv. 1-6), not “I” (vv. 7-25) can sanctify. No outward legalism, no inward personal self-effort can make men holy. This is impossible because there is something wrong without (vv. 1-6) and there is something wrong within (vv. 7-25). Not by “the commandment” are we sancti fied, for “thé commandment” but intensi fies the failure of our conduct. Not by the personal “I,” for the flesh is weak and in it dwelleth no good thing. Help must come from the mighty Christ. Vain is the help of man. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God . . . Jesus Christ.” S anctification is n o t to b e a tta in e d by legalism (7 :1 -1 4 ). The word “law” is mentioned twenty times in these verses. That this part of the chapter deals with the function of the law with reference to sanctification is clear from the expression in the first verse of the chapter, “Know ye not, brethren (for
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